"Idealists foolish enough to throw caution to the winds have advanced mankind and have enriched the world." -Emma Goldman

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Repeating history

Due to a conversation today on state and federal healthcare spending, which quickly derailed into a conversation about all the issues with the federal budget, I've been thinking a lot about this whole "occupy wall street" thing. John Stewart's "Parks and Demonstrations" shtick has fueled this thought process. What if this is the real deal? Could this be the start of something big? A slowly growing revolution creating the change that is needed for sustainability and success?

It reminds me of all the stories I heard about the Vietnam era. Stories of organized dissent, public protesting, empowerment of the younger generation. These were stories I used to ask my parents to tell me over and over when I was little. I always found myself a bit disappointed that they had such passive roles, envious of friends' whose parents were at UC Berkley and the such at the time. They weren't the sit-in hippies or the draft dodging rebels. They were just run of the mill 20-somethings, doing the best they could to stay on their feet, trying to progress their lives while barring witness to history evolving.

If this is the real deal, I imagine the conversation I will have with my future kid(s), G!d willing!
Kid: Mom, tell me about the wall street take over!
Me: Well, I was a 3rd year medical student at the time, busy on the wards and really out of touch with what was going on...

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About Me

I am a medical student in the South. I am also an observantly Jewish, type 1 diabetic, celiac, queer, strongly pro-choice activist. I am doing what I can to hold onto my ideals as I brave the chaos of medical education.